Gardiner, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Gardiner is an unincorporated community
in Douglas County, Oregon
, United States
, across the Umpqua River
from Reedsport
. It is located on U.S. Route 101
.
Gardiner is named for a Boston merchant whose ship, the Bostonian, shipwrecked at the mouth of the Umpqua on October 1, 1850. Gardiner was seeking to trade along the river, and most of his goods were saved from the ship and moved to the location that came to be the town of Gardiner. In 1851, the site became the headquarters of the Umpqua customs district, and a post office named "Gardiners City" was established the same year. The name of the post office changed to "Gardiner City" and eventually to its current name.
The Gardiner Historic District, which dates to 1870, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1994. Several steamboats were constructed at Gardiner for trade up the Umpqua River.
A lumber mill opened in Gardiner in 1954.
Gardiner was formerly the site of the first International Paper
mill on the West Coast
. The paper mill
operated from 1963 until 1999, and was one of the largest employers on the southern Oregon Coast
. The mill buildings were demolished
in 2006.
A railroad, Longview, Portland & Northern (LP&N), served the IP mill until it closed. The railroad runs from East Gardiner Junction to the old plant site. LP&N plans to resume operations in 2007 at the same location.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Douglas County, Oregon
Douglas County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Crater Lake National Park * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Siuslaw National Forest * Umpqua National Forest * Willamette National Forest -Adjacent counties:* Lane County, Oregon -...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, across the Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
from Reedsport
Reedsport, Oregon
Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,154.- History :Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912...
. It is located on U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 101, a major north–south U.S. Highway, runs through the state along the coastline near the Pacific Ocean. In Oregon, it runs from the Oregon–California border, south of Brookings, to the Oregon–Washington border on the Columbia River, between Astoria,...
.
Gardiner is named for a Boston merchant whose ship, the Bostonian, shipwrecked at the mouth of the Umpqua on October 1, 1850. Gardiner was seeking to trade along the river, and most of his goods were saved from the ship and moved to the location that came to be the town of Gardiner. In 1851, the site became the headquarters of the Umpqua customs district, and a post office named "Gardiners City" was established the same year. The name of the post office changed to "Gardiner City" and eventually to its current name.
The Gardiner Historic District, which dates to 1870, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1994. Several steamboats were constructed at Gardiner for trade up the Umpqua River.
A lumber mill opened in Gardiner in 1954.
Gardiner was formerly the site of the first International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
mill on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. The paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
operated from 1963 until 1999, and was one of the largest employers on the southern Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
. The mill buildings were demolished
Building implosion
In the controlled demolition industry, building implosion is the strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings...
in 2006.
A railroad, Longview, Portland & Northern (LP&N), served the IP mill until it closed. The railroad runs from East Gardiner Junction to the old plant site. LP&N plans to resume operations in 2007 at the same location.
External links
- The Gardiner that Was by Georgina Durbin from the Douglas County Historical Society
- Historic images of Gardiner from Salem Public Library